Brand New Eyes
by macareux
Summary: Because that's her Teddy, always knowing the solutions, the peacemaker, the solver of problems, the Teddy she looked up to. If she could know what he was thinking now, would she still look up to him? -TeddyLily, set to "Careful" by Paramore


She walks by him, and her fire red hair seems to taunt him. It completely swishes past, in a smell that is completely her. "_Stop thinking this, Teddy," _he tells himself. _"You're her teacher, for goodness sake! Plus, she's your godfather's daughter! Stop!" _

But, as she turns around, realizing she walked right past him, when it was he who she needed to speak with, and her hazel eyes connect with his ever-changing ones, his heart skips a beat.

She asks him if she can ask him something, and he tells her to come into his office. She answers politely, saying, "Yes, Professor Lupin," and giggles a bit, because she finds it amusing that the man she called Teddy a few months ago is now her teacher, and now she is his student, while he used to be like a brother.

"Stop, with the formalities, Lily," he says, "I'm no more than your big brother come to teach at your school." She laughs.

"Okay, then. Teddy it is!" she spouts triumphantly, and he engulfs her in a brotherly hug. He wishes it wasn't. He wishes it was something more. As he rustles her hair playfully, like he used to do when she was younger, she begins to squirm out of his tight grip, and he holds on. He never wants this to end, because it's all he'll ever get. The companionship, friendliness they have was all they would ever have.

You see, this fascination Teddy has with her, it isn't like a normal fling, where Teddy could just tell this girl that he liked her. No. This is different for two reasons: The first being that She is ten years younger than him; he at twenty-six, her at almost seventeen. And, two, he isn't sure that he just _likes _her. He's pretty sure that he's utterly intoxicated by her.

He finally lets go, after she threatens to break his arm if he doesn't release her. He knows these are empty threats, and that's she's no where near as strong as he is, but he sets her free all the same.

"So," he begins, transforming into what he liked to call his 'stuck-up professor mode' (only to Lily, as things couldn't be getting around that he thought that all professors were stuck up, which he didn't) and says, "what was your question?" in a _very_ snooty voice. He only does this to get a chuckle from her. The sound of her laughter is like music, and as happy as it makes him, it also reminds him of the things he can't have.

"Well," she responds, playing along, and changing her voice so it has a posh accent in it, "my question is that I was wondering when we were going to study the werewolf, as I was quite looking forward to that."

Teddy sighs. She doesn't know that his father was a werewolf. "I honestly don't know yet, Lily." That is a lie. He doesn't want to teach the kids about werewolves, because it brings back memories of the father and mother he never had.

Though, he'll have to work it into his lesson plan, now that Lily has asked about it.

She smiles at him now, knowing he'll figure it out, because that's her Teddy, always knowing the solutions, the peacemaker, the solver of problems, the Teddy she looked up to. If she could know what he was thinking now, would she still look up to him?

He decides to ignore his wonderings for a few more minutes, and tells her that he'll find a way to teach it, and that her big brother will do anything for his little sister.

She looks confused then, and he raises an eyebrow, as if to ask her about the befuddled look on her face. She notices his silent inquiry, and says, "But, Teddy, you're not my big brother."

Then, he feels his first glimmer of hope.

The next day, he sees her strut by him again, but, this time, there's a boy with his arm around her, and he's tired of being careful with her, but, still, he knows that even now, you just can't be too careful anymore. So he continues on his silent, unrealized by others, quest to keep loving Lily Potter, and hope that one day, she will love him back.

When he can't sleep that night, he makes his way down to the Mirror of Erised that Harry had told him about, many years ago, but he had never time to actually see it. When he gets there, all he sees is two people: himself, and Lily Luna Potter.

_"Oh, you can't be too careful anymore, when all that is waiting for you won't come any closer."_


End file.
